Vanessa Welch-Pemberton, PsyD

Welcome! I am Vanessa Welch-Pemberton, PsyD (Doing business as Empower Through, PLLC). I completed my undergraduate education, with a major in Psychology and minor in Broadcast Studies, at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA. I received my graduate education in Clinical and Primary Care Psychology through The School of Professional Psychology at Forest Institute in Springfield Missouri. There, I completed both a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology as well as a Doctorate Degree (PsyD) in Clinical psychology with a specialized track in Primary Care/Medical Psychology. In 2011, I moved to back to my home state of Washington to be closer to family. I have been licensed as a psychologist since 2012. I have worked in private practice as well as medical settings such as primary care, OBGYN, and cardiology. I am passionate about my work in areas including PTSD, adjustment to aging, end of life (palliative care/hospice), caregiver stress, LGBTQ+, political anxiety, emotional and behavioral management of medical illness, adult ADHD, and public figures. I also have experience in more general areas of anxiety, depression, life transitions/adjustment, relationship stress, men's issues, women's issues, and exploration of identity, inner strength, and empowerment. Using a strengths-based approach, I primarily usilize interventions rooted in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive behavioral Therapy, DBT, and other behavioral therapies. I focus on building resilience, empowerment, and self-compassion. Together, we’ll work toward creating space for healing, inner peace, and a renewed sense of balance in your life. Research has shown that the best predictor of therapeutic outcomes is the relationship between the therapist and the client. I have experienced this to be true in my years of practice and as such, have made this my primary focus in therapy. I am very open about myself when it benefits the relationship and is clinically appropriate. I allow genuine aspects of myself into the therapy space. I am caring, invested, persistent, and cannot hide my sense of humor. I truly believe that none of us are “crazy” or “broken.” The mental health struggles we find ourselves enduring are NORMAL responses to ABNORMAL circumstances. It is important to me to create a strong partnership with each person I work with. We are a team, we are in this together. You are not alone.